1. Difficult Topics Explained
AP Psychology
Mrs. Amy Ramponi
Kimberly High School
Kimberly, WI

2. Psychology’s Subtypes
Industrial-Organizational Psychology
Human Factors Psychology
Clinical Psychology
Psychiatrists
Experimental
Social
Counseling

3. Standard Deviation

4. Experiments Dependent Variable Independent Variable Control Group
Experimental Group
Random Assignment
Confounding Variables
Statistical Significance

5. Biological Basis Neuron Neural Communication Action Potential
Resting Potential
Refractory Period
All-or-nothing
Sodium Potassium Pump
Reuptake
Synapse
Neurotransmitters
Dopamine, Serotonin, Endorphins, ACh,

6. Nervous System

7. Brain & Brain Structures
Cerebral Cortex
Lobes of the Brain
Corti of the Brain
Broca’s Area
Wernicke’s Area
Limbic System
Amygdala, Hippocampus, Hypothalamus
Brainstem
Medulla, Pons, RAS/Reticular Formation, Cerebellum
Corpus Callosum
Thalamus

8. Heritability
The extent to which the DIFFERENCE among individuals can be attributed to genes.
Highly heritable traits: Height, IQ
Low heritability: skin cancer, certain types of diabetes
Fun Fact: Having two eyes has 0 heritability. Essentially, everyone is born with two eyes.

9. Sensation & Perception
Top Down (Perception)
Cognition-fueled
Bottom Up (Sensation)
Biological
Vision
Taste/Gustation
Smell/Olfaction
Vestibular
Kinesthetic
Touch
Pain

10. Linear Perspective (NOT CONVERGENCE)
Monocular Depth Cues
Linear Perspective (NOT CONVERGENCE)
Interposition
Relative Height/Height in Plane
Light and Shadow
Texture Gradient
Relative Size
Relative Motion/Motion Parallax
Motion parallax, Height in plane = relative height

11. Memory

12. Memory Long Term Memories Declarative/Explicit
Semantic Memory - general facts, not personal
Episodic - personal, biographical events
Flashbulb (autobiographical memory)
Prospective Memory - memory for a future event
Implicit/Non-declarative
Procedural - how to do something

13. Interference (to Memory)
Proactive (old interferes with new)
Retroactive (new interferes with old)
P.O.R.N.

14. Types of Amnesia Dissociative/Psychogenic amnesia Anterograde amnesia
Retrograde amnesia
Infantile amnesia

15. Defense Mechanisms Repression Regression Sublimation Denial
Reaction Formation
Displacement
Projection
Rationalization

16. Assimilation, Accommodation, and Schema
Piaget’s Cognitive Development
Schema: Mental Framework
Assimilation: Putting new information into the SAME SCHEMA or an old schema
Accommodation: Putting information into a NEW SCHEMA (note: not accommodation of the lens)

17. Cognition DTE Availability Heuristic vs. Representative Heuristic
Deductive Reasoning vs. Inductive Reasoning
Convergent vs. Divergent Thinking
Linguistic Determinism

18. Theories of Emotion 2 Factor James-Lange Cannon-Bard
JL - Jump & Label
CB - Cymbals bash at the SAME TIME
SS2F - what you think about the physical arousal

19. Hypnosis Theories Role Theory
Theorize that hypnosis is not an alternate state of consciousness at all. People who are easily hypnotized have richer fantasy lives and follow directions well.
State Theory
Hypnosis meets some parts of the definitions for an altered state of consciousness.
Divided Consciousness - Hypnosis involves dissociation, a split in consciousness in which one part of the mind operates independently of the rest of consciousness.
Hidden observer
Ernest Hilgard

20. Classical Conditioning
Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS) - unlearned
Unconditioned Response (UCR) - reflexive response
Conditioned Stimulus (CS) - previously neutral, paired with UCS
Conditioned Response (CR) - learned response to CS

21. Damn You, B.F. Skinner Behaviorism
Punishment vs. Reinforcement : Increase vs. Stop
Negative Reinforcement is not PUNISHMENT
Schedules of Reinforcement FR FI VR VI

22. The “Self” Self-Efficacy (belief in yourself & your ability)
Self-Esteem (subjective judgement on oneself and worth)
Self Actualization (Maslow, desire for fulfillment and to achieve )
Self-Concept (constructed views a person holds about them self)
Self-Disclosure (in relationships, opening up to another fully)
Self-fulfilling prophecy (a prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true)
Self-reference effect (encoding information about you allows you to recall better)
Self-serving bias (success - all you, defeat - someone else’s fault)